Chapter 110: Radical Negociation

Before long, Lotus received a response signal originating near the former capital of Tyo.

MK.2, 3, 4, and 5 landed near the mountains beside the former capital of Tyo, not far from the Zetark shipyard.

This was where, in the mountains, the bulk of the Federation resistance was organized—over ten thousand soldiers and a hundred officers!

In theory, Lotus had no authority over them, since she wasn't part of the Federation army. However, she could exploit the ambiguity of the situation, especially given that they were under the direct orders of the planet's governor.

Lotus arrived at the gates of the entrenched camp. All the soldiers were on alert. After all, Lotus and her guild were all Eternals, like those who had attacked them.

Nevertheless, the doors eventually opened at the officers' insistence, and Lotus's team was led into a makeshift tent where all the highest-ranking officers were gathered—five second lieutenants, two lieutenants, and a major named Lamperon.

This was all that was left of the Tyo garrison.

Lotus quickly took the floor. "I am Lotus, leader of the Eclipse guild, which includes the governor of the planet. He gave me the order to re-establish control of the planet, so I request your help in accomplishing this task! As soon as possible, I wish to neutralize the enemy forces at the ruins of Tyo!"

Major Lamperon replied, "Take back the ruins of Tyo?! You're out of your mind! There are more than a hundred high-ranking Ascensionists with quality military equipment there! Even with your four ships supporting us, we'd be swept away! Besides that, is there any evidence that actually links you to Colonel Apophis? You're the people who massacred us to begin with! I don't trust you, so if you don't have any military documents to show me, get out of here!"

The major acted so unpleasantly towards Lotus because of the shock of recent fights and the loss of his subordinates to Eternals over the course of the last horrific day.

Lotus calmly pulled out the insignia of military rank that Apophis had given her and displayed it.

"Here," she said. "As well as the military access code I used to contact you, I think this item is more than enough to justify my command. Especially since, as you said, I have four warships at my disposal. If I had been your enemy, I would have simply bombed your insignificant camp when I came out of hyperspace! Now you have a simple choice: either obey or I execute you for desertion and mutiny."

Most of the officers around the table seemed convinced. After all, a proper mission was better than court martial and death!

But Lamperon was terrified and angry. "Get out of here, you bitch of an Eternal! You're just a civilian from a genocidal and dissident people! Get out of my sight!"

Lotus didn't want to waste any more time trying to reason with him. Apophis was understaffed on Cronos I, and she wanted to get back to helping him as quickly as possible.

So she calmly pulled out her Epic-grade laser pistol in less than a second and fired, puncturing Major Lamperon's torso.

He collapsed in a pool of blood, but Lotus was so fast that her gun was already re-holstered before his head hit the ground.

The other officers around the table were amazed! They'd never seen such a quick execution! The poor man hadn't even realized he'd been shot before he died.

Lotus said to the other officers, "Well! You have the same choice: either fight for the mission you have been given or my forty companions and I will execute you for desertion."

Everyone present was thoroughly convinced.